After ignoring the train derailment and subsequent environmental disaster in East Palestine, Ohio, and the Biden administration's failure to adequately provide aid, ABC's World News Tonight, and CBS Evening News started helping President Biden and the incompetent diversity hire transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg to blame former President Donald Trump and Republicans for the crisis. Only NBC Nightly News avoided the partisan blame games and responsibly covered Wednesday's latest news out of East Palestine that Trump visited and Buttigieg's intention of visiting.
Dutifully parroting the Biden administration talking points he was given, ABC correspondent Alex Presha crowed that "the White House [is] saying it's Trump himself that owes residents in East Palestine an apology."
Presha continued to read from his White House-provided talking points: "Congressional Republicans and former Trump administration officials owe East Palestine an apology for selling them out to rail industry lobbyists when they dismantled Obama-Biden rail safety protections as well as EPA powers to rapidly contain spills."
"In 2017, Trump actually celebrated rolling back regulations that many advocates say might have protected communities," he reported with glee. "Trump tweeting, 'I am continuing to get rid of costly and unnecessary regulations. Much work left to do, but the effect will be great.'"
It wasn't until the end of the segment that Presha admitted "it's not clear if any of those regulations specifically contributed to the accident in East Palestine."
So why report speculation if you don't know that Trump's deregulatory policies have anything to do with what happened in East Palestine? The answer is obviously that it helps further ABC's leftist agenda.
Meanwhile, things were just as dishonest over on CBS Evening News with correspondent Roxana Saberi claiming that "the Trump administration rolled back rail safety regulations including an Obama-era proposal for technology that would have made all railcars break at the same time. His administration also blocked efforts to require minimum crew sizes on trains."
Just like on ABC, no proof was given provided that deregulation had anything to do with the train derailment. ABC & CBS were happy to engage in irresponsible speculation so long as it helped their friends in the Biden White House.
This in-kind contribution to Joe Biden and the Democrat Party was made possible by Chewy on ABC & Liberty Mutual on CBS. Their information is linked.
The transcripts are below. Click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
2/22/2023
6:42:57 p.m. EasternALEX PRESHA: And with Trump in Ohio, the White House saying it's Trump himself that owes residents in East Palestine an apology. The White House saying in a statement, congressional Republicans and former Trump administration officials owe East Palestine an apology for selling them out to rail industry lobbyists when they dismantled Obama-Biden rail safety protections as well as EPA powers to rapidly contain spills.
In 2017, Trump actually celebrated rolling back regulations that many advocates say might have protected communities. One of those withdrawn regulations calling for specialized systems on trains carrying hazardous materials. Trump tweeting, I am continuing to get rid of costly and unnecessary regulations. Much work left to do, but the effect will be great.
Tonight, it's not clear if any of those regulations specifically contributed to the accident in East Palestine. David, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has pointed to those Trump rollbacks and laws pushed by congressional Republicans, saying they've constrained his team in some areas of rail regulation. Meanwhile, the NTSB is scheduled to release its preliminary report on the accident tomorrow.
CBS Evening News
2/22/2023
6:37:42 p.m. EasternMARGARET BRENNAN: The town has now become a political battleground.
[...]
ROXANA SABERI: Columbiana County has been Trump country, he won around 70 percent of the vote here in 2016 and in 2020. But the Trump administration rolled back rail safety regulations including an Obama-era proposal for technology that would have made all railcars break at the same time. His administration also blocked efforts to require minimum crew sizes on trains.
SECRETARY PETE BUTTIGIEG: We’re just gonna require at least two people, at least two human beings on a train to make sure that we have that safety.
SABERI: Today the Department of Transportation announced that with the NTSB’s preliminary report investigating the derailment due out tomorrow, Secretary Pete Buttigieg will also come to town.
BUTTIGIEG: I was focused on just making sure that our folks on the ground were all set but could have spoken sooner about how strongly I felt about this incident, and that’s a lesson learned for me.
[...]
SABERI: The White House today accused the Trump administration and congressional Republicans of watering down safety rules that could have prevented incidents like the one in East Palestine. What people here want to know is whether politicians will work together to help them now. And protect communities like theirs in the future.
